Fear and tension gripped residents of Kiyawa Local Government Area of Jigawa State on Saturday night after a fuel-laden tanker fell and spilt petrol along the busy Maiduguri Road near Kiyawa roundabout.
The incident, which occurred at about 9:30 pm, attracted a large crowd of residents and passersby, raising fears of a possible fire outbreak as some people were seen approaching the scene with buckets, containers and other items in an apparent attempt to scoop the spilt fuel.
Speaking to journalists on Sunday, the Public Relations Officer of the Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, in Jigawa State, Yahaya Ibrahim, said officials of the corps had cordoned off the area to prevent residents from approaching the fallen tanker.
He attributed the accident to driver fatigue, explaining that the tanker driver reportedly fell asleep while driving.
“The driver sustained injuries as a result of the accident,” Ibrahim said, adding that the injured driver was receiving medical attention at Kiyawa General Hospital.
Also confirming the incident, the Public Relations Officer of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, Jigawa State Command, Badaruddeen Tijjani, said the tanker fell along Maiduguri Road near Kiyawa roundabout at about 9:30 pm on Saturday and began spilling fuel.
“The tanker fell along Maiduguri Road by Kiyawa roundabout yesterday night around 9:30 pm and started spilling fuel,” he said.
Tijjani explained that officers of the command were immediately deployed to the scene following the report to cordon off the area and control the crowd.
He said the intervention was necessary to prevent residents from getting close to the tanker and avert a possible fire outbreak.
It could be recalled that a tragic tanker explosion in Majia, Taura Local Government Area, in October 2024, claimed more than 170 lives after residents rushed to scoop fuel from a fallen tanker.
Fear in Jigawa as fallen tanker spills fuel along busy Maiduguri road